European Trophy 2010: face-off of the stars in Zell am See

Just a few months after the ice hockey world championship in Germany, fans of the high-speed sport on skates can look forward to the next event highlight: for the first time as many as 18 top teams from seven nations are competing against each other at the 'European Trophy', the new pre-season league kicking off in the beginning of August. The competitions have their roots in the combination and extension of the Scandinavian 'Nordic trophy' and the legendary Austrian 'Red Bulls Salute'. The Alpine tournament will not disappear from the overall schedule, though. The final play-offs of the European Trophy are still called 'Red Bulls Salute'. Venue of the matches are Salzburg and - for the first time this year due to the large number of participating teams from the region - Zell am See as well from 3rd to 5th September.

Since 2005 the Red Bulls Salute has been staged by the 'EC Red Bull Salzburg' which is playing in the Erste Bank Eishockey Liga. Within a mere five years the tournament has established itself as one of the best pre-season preparative events worldwide. This is not least thanks to the first-class teams which have accepted the challenge on the ice of Salzburg's Eisarena year after year - among them the US-American pros of the National Hockey League (NHL), the 'L.A. Kings', as well as first-league teams from Sweden, Finland, Germany, Russia, the Czech Republic, and Switzerland. By initiating the European Trophy, a European ice hockey league was established which is scheduling its matches in August and early September, i.e. before the start of the official season, and which will culminate in the final tournament of the Red Bulls Salute. For the first time, the best eight teams from the preliminaries will qualify for these final matches. Needless to say that this goes beyond the capabilities of the ice stadium in Salzburg. In order to be able to guarantee perfect matches, the organizers at the EC Red Bull opted for a second venue - the ice rink in Zell am See which is the home of the 'EK Zeller Eisbären'.

It goes without saying that the call of the EC Red Bull Salzburg caused great enthusiasm among the ice hockey fans in the picturesque holiday region of Zell am See-Kaprun. 'We are incredibly proud to be hosting this great European tournament along with Salzburg', says Rainer Edlinger, co-organizer and employee at Zell am See-Kaprun Tourismus GmbH. After all, the passion for the high-speed sport on skates has a long tradition in the Alpine town on the shores of Lake Zell. Its ice hockey club was founded back in 1928. During the first years the Polar Bears used to train in the heart of the town. Thanks to its sporting skills, it did not take long for the club to make a name for itself beyond the borders of the region. Thomas Vanek who scores in the NHL today earned his spurs here, too. In a recent interview he expressed his enthusiasm that the highlight of the European Trophy is taking place in his 'nursery', i.e. at Zell's ice rink. 'A total of four matches will be broadcast live from Zell am See', explains Edlinger. 'It can be taken for granted that the fans of the Polar Bears and of first-class sporting events in general will be raising the roof.'

Which teams will be qualifying for the play-offs is less predictable, though. But the list of teams participating in the preliminaries includes famous names such as 'Adler Mannheim' and 'Eisbären Berlin' from Germany, the Finish champions 'TPS Turku', and 'HV 71' which is taking front rank in the Swedish league. The majority of the 18 participating teams have successfully proved their skills at the world championship and the Olympic Games. Spectators can thus look forward to seeing the best of the best at the 'Champions League on Ice'. Salzburg's head coach Pierre Pagé considers the European Trophy an excellent opportunity for Austrian players to develop and improve their playing skills in matches against international competitors. 'Now is the moment for us to participate in the global development of the future of ice hockey', he says. Zell am See-Kaprun for its part is glad to be an integral part of this icy sporting spectacle. At the hunting grounds of the polar bears no one is intimidated by famous names. After all, power play has a long tradition between Kitzsteinhorn and Schmittenhöhe.

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Information summary
The holiday region of Zell am See-Kaprun with its 14,000 beds and two million overnight stays per year is one of the most important holiday destinations in Austria. The beautiful flora and fauna in the Alpine panorama and Lake Zell guarantee relaxation and well-being. Golfing, hiking, and bathing are at the focus for the summer time programme, but visitors can choose from more than 40 other activities as well. During the cold season, fun on skis and boards make sure that there is no dull moment. Skiers can comfortably reach the 138 kilometres of slopes covered with powder snow by one of the 54 lifts. Snowboarders enjoy the perfect conditions of the Snowpark on the 2,600-metre-high glacier plateau. Even in the summer you can swish down the slopes here. And family-friendliness is a top priority in Zell am See and Kaprun. For this reason, the region has already received various awards.

Contact within the region
Guest Service Zell am See-Kaprun
Brucker Bundesstrasse 1a | A-5700 Zell am See
Phone +43 (0)6542 - 770 0
welcome(at)zellamsee-kaprun.com
http://www.zellamsee-kaprun.com

Press contact
knoefler-journalist . media + communications GmbH
Nordring 53-55 | 63843 Niedernberg
Mr. Benjamin Knöfler
Phone +49 (0)6028 - 80729 0
zellkaprun(at)kj-media.com
http://www.knoefler-journalist.com

This release was published on openPR.